Rod joints



v May 12, 1959 HERRSCHMTI'v 2,886,359

ROD-JOINTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 8, 1954 y xNvENToR W//iam Herr.: ca/" United States, PanffO This invention relates tofnew and usefulirnprovements and structural reinements in rod joints,l and more particularly, the invention concerns itself with ltiigh'ly-venA satile means for Vseparably connecting togetheraplurality ofrodsorbars. v j l j The'principal object of the invention is'to provide a joint of this nature whereby such rodsl or bars may be rrnly joined and. held, such as for example, yin *the leg structure of a stand or a table, the joint being of very simple construction, andadapted `tog-be assembled or' disassembled without any need for mechanical skill.

With the above more important objects and features in view'and such other, objects and features as may become apparent as thisspecication proceeds, the invention resides in the arrangement of parts and details of iconstruction, .substantiallylas shown in the accompanying drawingswherein like characters of reference are .fused todesignate like parts and wherein Figure 1 is a vertical sectional form of the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional detail, taken substantially in the plane of the line 2--2 in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a sleeve used in the joint;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view illustrating another form of the invention;

view illustratingyone Figure 5 is a sectional detail, taken substantially in the plane of the line 5--5 in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a keeper washer used in the form of the invention shown in Figures 4 and 5;

Figure 7 is a horizontal sectional view of another modified form;

Figure 8 is a horizontal sectional view of another modified form; y

Figure 9 is a horizontal sectional view of another modied form;

Figure 10 is -a vertical sectional view of another modied form of the invention;

Figure 11 is a perspective view showing one example of the use of the invention;

Figure 12 is a perspective View showing another example of use;

Figure 13 is a perspective view showing another example of use;

Figure 14 is a sectional detail, taken substantially in the plane of the line 14-14 in Figure 13; and

Figure 15 is a fragmentary perspective view, illustrating a modied form of the rod locking means.

With reference now to the accompanying drawings in detail, in particular to Figures l, 2 and 3, the rod joint is designated generally by the numeral 1 and is used for connecting together plurality of rods 2 having parallel end portions 3 so disposed that they are spaced radially outwardly from a common axis 4.

The joint embodies in its construction a substantially tubular sleeve 5 having the rod portions 3 disposed therein, it being noted that one end portion of the sleeve 5 is provided with notches 6 aiording keeper seats for 2,886,359 Peretti Mft 3%, l??? ICCv n 2 f laterally extending portions A'1*' of the rods 2. By virtue of these keeper seats the rods are prevented from turning or'rotating in the sleeve and horizontal extensions 8 of the rods are held in a xed radiating relation from the joint, so'that they may be effectively used to support an article such as for example a tray or table top 9.

The joint is held in an assembled position by a clarnp-y ing screw 10 which extends axially through thesleeve 5 incontacting relation with the rod portions 3. One end of the screw 10 is provided with a washer 11 which abuts the lower end of the sleeve, while the .other end of the screw carries another washer 12 which is in a clamping engagement with the lateral portions 7 of the rods. Thus,- when Va nut 13 on the screw 10 is tightened, the: joint Iwill be irrnly hel'd in its assembled form. v f' As already stated, the sleeve 5 is substantially tubular, that is, circular in cross-section. However, ifdesired, a polygonalsleeve may be used asfshown at 5a in Figure 7, wherein the rod portions 3 are disposed inthe re-A spective corners of the sleeve'. Also, it will be noted that the rod portions 3 may be mutually spaced apart i-n the sleeve as shown in Figures 2 and 7, or they may be in a juxtaposed, contacting relation as shownl in Figure 8 wherein the-rod portions 3a are of a relatively small diameter with respect to the sleeve 5b.

InY the event that the rod portions are spaced apart andany tendency exists for them to rockfor shift out ofvertical'l positions in the sleeve, relatively short, rodshapedkfillers `or spacers 14 may be inserted between the rods asillustrated in Figure 9 so that the rod portions, spacers, clamping, screw and sleeve are in contact. n v

With reference no w to the accompanying Figures 4, 5 and 6, the joint assembly 15 shownherein utilizes a sleeve 16 which may be somewhat shorter than the sleeve 5 since the notches 6 are omitted. However, notches 17 are provided in the keeper washer 18 on the clamping screw 19, so that when the screw is tightened, the notches 17 of the washer 18 receive therein the lateral portions 7 of the rods 2 and the rods are prevented from turning in the sleeve.

The joint 15 also embodies another variation, namely, the provision of two groups of the rod portions 3 and 3b, the first group extending into the sleeve from the top and the second group from the bottom. As already stated, the lateral portions 7 of the rods in the rst group are clampingly engaged by the washer 18, while the lateral portions 7b of the rods in the second group are similarly engaged by the tapered head 20 of the screw 19. In a somewhat modied form illustrated in Figure l0, a keeper washer 21, similar to the washer 18, is used to clamp the rod portions 7b in place of the head of the screw and a wing nut 22 may be used in place of a plain nut on the clamping screw so that the use of tools is not necessary when the device is assembled or disassembled.

As is exemplified in Figure 11, the extensions 8 of the joined rods may be used to support a table top 9, or the like, while the rod portions 7b may |form the legs. In such an arrangement the rods above the joint 15 are separate from the rods below the joint. Alternatively, as shown in Figure l2, the rods above and below the joint may be formed integrally from same pieces of wire,

' wherein the intermediate rod portions 7a connect tosleeve when the joint is assembled or disassembled. To prevent the rods from shifting radially inwardly in the sleeve, a tubular insert or bushing 25 yis removably positioned in the sleeve as shown.

With reference now to the embodiment of the .invention shown in Figures 13y and 14, lt-he rod joint 26 herein iswvertically elongated to the extent that the sleeve thereof vassumes the form of a pipe or tube 27 having keeper notches 28 at either or both ends thereof and provided at ylongitudinally spaced vpoints with sets of slots 29. The tube 27 accommodates sets of rods 8, 8a, 8b, the rods 8 being extended :through `the notches 28 while the rods 8a, 18h 4are lextended through the slots 29 into the tube for clamping purposes. Thus, the rods 8, 8a and 8b maybe disposed at .diierent levels to supports trays, etc., in a vertically spaced relation and the rods at lthe vbottom may be vsuitably angulated to afford supporting legs for the stand thus constructed. As will be noted, :the clamping screw 30 is of suiiicient length to extend from the rods on one level to those at the next.

Finally, Figure 1'5 `illustrates a modified form :of means for locking 'the rods against rotation in the sleeve, which means may be used in substitution for the notched `sleeve of Figure l or the notched washer 18 of Figure 4. The vmodified locking means consists of pairs of spaced, parallel straps 31, 32 which are secured together in crossing relation and form what may be called a spider 33 which is adapted to be seated between the angulated portions 7 of the rods so that the clamping screw 19 extends through a'space dened at the center of the spider by the spaced, crossed straps. The straps 31, 32 have upturned end portions 34 which, in each pair, engage the opposite sides of the respective rod portions 7 and vthere- 2,886,559. I l A While in the foregoing .there have been described and shown the preferred embodiments of the invention, various modications may become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Accordingly, it is not desired -to limit the invention to this disclosure and various modifications may be restored to, such as may lie within the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is:

The combination of a plurality of rods having straight parallel portions spaced radially outwardly-rom a common `axis and lateral portions extending outwardly from angul'ations at the `ends of said parallel portions, `and a rod joint comprising a sleeve provided intermediate its ends with a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings, the angulations of said yrods extending inwardly through said openings and lthe parallel portions of said rods being disposed within the intermediate portion of the sleeve, a clamping screw coaxial with the stated common axis and extending axially in said sleeve, said parallel portions of said rods having their full length in supporting engagement with 'said screw and with the inner surface of said sleeve, and clamping means provided on Asaid screw and engaging the angulated portions of said rods to clamp the same against edges of said openings in a direction parallel to the axis of said screw.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS .904,758 Cropp v Nov. 24, 1908 r948,537 Wilson s v Feb. 8, 1910 v1,015,183 Hering Ian. 16, 1912 1,171,263 Reed Mar. 15, 1921 1,591,110 `Willson July 6, 1926 1,885,635 Schweitzer Nov. '1, 1932 

